You Can Turn It All Around
by Sarmoti
Summary: Elliot has a really bad day and she ends up snaping and makes a bad choice. Carla sends Dr. Cox to change her mind. Can he turn it all around for her? Perry/Elliot


**Title: **You Can Turn It All Around  
**Fandom:** Scrubs  
**Characters:** Perry, Elliot, Carla, Jordan, J.D., Turk  
**Pairing(s):** Perry Cox/Elliot Reid  
**Rating:** M  
**Summary:** (One Shot) Elliot has a really bad day. She snaps and makes a bad choice. Carla sends Dr. Cox to change her mind.  
**Notes:** My first Scrubs fic, hopefully I gave this fandom justice. It's got Elliot angst and not a lot of humor. I hope that everyone likes this. It is set during season 5, before Carla and Jordan got pregnant but after Elliot meets Keith.

To All My Harry Potter fans, I promise to work on getting a new story up soon, I haven't been writing fan fiction for awhile due to a crazy life, but working on this has got me excited about writing again!

"But I don't understand what I did!" Elliot Reid screeched, her voice higher than she meant it to be. "Why won't you talk to me about this?"

"What do you want me to say Elliot?" Keith Dudemeister asked, throwing his hands in the air. "I just don't feel that way about you. And if you stop and think about it, I doubt you really feel that way about me!"

Elliot sobbed, trying her hardest to keep her tears from falling. "Why are you doing this now? Here at work? Come over tonight and we will talk about this Keith."

"You told me you loved me Elliot, I'm not going to lie and tell you that I love you when I don't," Keith said, a sad smile on his face. "You are a great girl, slightly crazy, but great."

"So that's it? It's over?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"I am sorry," Keith replied, reaching up to touch her cheek.

Elliot jerked her head away from him, "Don't touch me," she hissed, stepping around him and running down the hall.

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"Elliot, are you okay?" Carla Espinosa asked, noticing her blonde friend leaning against the counter.

"I'm fine," Elliot replied, her head down.

"I know you better than that, what happened?" Carla said, walking around the nurse's desk to stand next to Elliot.

Elliot looked up at her with red eyes and blotchy cheeks. "I told Keith I loved him and he dumped me," she said, her face hard. "I'm trying really hard to hold it together right now."

"Elliot, I know…." Carla started to say, but was interrupted by Elliot's pager.

"It's Mr. Orton," Elliot said, clipping her pager back on her belt and wiping the stray tears off of her cheeks before grabbing a chart and taking off down the hall.

Carla watched her best friend go and shook her head, silently adding Keith to her 'attitude' list.

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"Call it," Dr. Perry Cox said, stripping the medical gloves off of his hands and looking up at the clock before turning back to Elliot. "Barbie! Call it," he repeated.

Elliot glanced up at the clock. "Time of death, 5:15 p.m.," she said, her voice hollow.

Perry stopped and looked back at her. She was still standing over Mr. Orton, her hair hanging down in her face and what he could have sworn were tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Barbie!" he barked, taking satisfaction in the way her head jerked up to meet his gaze. "Are you crying? You're crying, aren't you?"

Elliot dropped her head down once more, rushing past Dr. Cox and leaving the room, trying to escape down the hallway.

Dr. Cox watched her go, his irritation at losing one of their favorite patients and his anger at being brushed off by the blonde girl boiling over. He quickly set off after her, catching up with her at the nurse's station.

"What the hell was that Barbie?" he yelled, ignoring Carla's dirty looks. "What were you doing in there? Crying because you broke a nail or lost your favorite pair of shoes? You are a doctor. You had a responsibility to that old man and you failed him. He's dead because you and your boyfriend had a spat or your mommy insulted you again!"

Elliot looked up at Dr. Cox with dry eyes and a strangely calm expression on her face. "You know Dr. Cox, you are absolutely right," she said, her voice soft. "And you know what? I quit," she said, throwing her stethoscope at him and walking away, brushing past Turk and J.D. without acknowledging them as she left.

"What is wrong with Elliot?" J.D. asked, turning to Carla.

"I think she just quit," Carla replied, staring at Dr. Cox, who had a puzzled expression on his face and Elliot's stethoscope in his hand.

"Quit?" J.D. exclaimed. "What happened?"

"She is having a really bad day," Carla answered. "Turk, you and Bambi go see if she went home, talk to her if you find her."

"Yeah, sure, okay," J.D. said in a dazed voice. He was shocked his friend would just quit like that.

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Elliot sighed, slamming her head down on the bar, letting the warm alcohol burn her throat. Three empty shot glasses were lined up in front of her, and she raised her hand to order another.

How could Keith say she didn't love him? Of course she loved him. He treated her well and he accepted her craziness. He never tried to talk to her while she was in the restroom and he loved to dress up for her. He was everything she wanted, except he didn't love her back.

And then there was Mr. Orton. Dr. Cox was right, she had been thinking about Keith and maybe she wasn't giving Mr. Orton enough attention. Maybe it was her fault he died. What she did know for certain was that she needed a break, she needed to run, and things were not working out for her anymore.

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"She wasn't at her apartment," Turk said, kissing Carla on the cheek. "J.D. was going to call her parents and check with some of her friends. Maybe she just needs some time to think, you know?"

Carla sighed. "I know. She was just really upset. I don't think she meant to quit. I want her to get back in here before Kelso finds out. Keith dumped her and then she lost Mr. Orton. Dr. Cox acted like himself and I think she felt overwhelmed."

"I know you want to help everyone baby, but just give her some time," Turk said. "I gotta go, I am doing a surgery in ten!"

Carla smiled at Turk as he left and then turned to find Dr. Cox leaning against the desk. "Did he find your little Barbie Doll?" he asked.

"No, and I hope you feel awful about this. You know she wasn't to blame for Mr. Orton. Elliot has always left her problems out of her patient's rooms. When she is in there she all about being a doctor."

"She was crying," Perry said. "Crying, real tears!"

"So you blamed her for a man's death?" Carla exclaimed.

Perry sighed, crossing his arms and looking at the angry nurse. "Maybe I was a bit hard on her. I just… you don't…. look, it isn't like I've had an easy life lately. Jack still won't sleep through the night, Jordan and I are not getting along at all and Newbie won't leave me alone about helping him with this paper of his."

"None of that is Elliot's fault though!" Carla said.

"What do you want me to do about it now?" Perry asked.

Carla sighed. "There is a bar off of Walton Street where Elliot and I go after visiting my mom's grave. She likes that place a lot and my guess is she went there. You should go talk to her," Carla said, ignoring the look Perry was giving her. "Apologize to her and give her back her stethoscope."

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Perry looked around the bar as he stepped inside. For being in such a small building, it was large inside. He glanced around the tables before seeing a familiar blonde head at the bar. Cursing Carla in his head and sighing, Perry made his way up to her and sat down.

Elliot felt his presence before she looked up. She seemed surprised for a moment and then the shock was replaced with anger and she got up, grabbing her purse off the counter.

"Barbie, give me a minute, okay?" Perry asked, hoping she would keep walking and he could go back and tell Carla he tried.

Elliot stopped for a moment before sitting back down. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice empty.

Perry glanced at her empty shot glasses and called for the bartender, ordering himself a scotch and another round for her. "Listen and listen good Barbie because you won't hear this from me again. I am sorry. It wasn't your fault the old man died. But you can't, and I mean you really can't cry at these people's bedsides. They are sick, they are old, and they will die."

Elliot slammed her shot glass down on the bar and stood up once more. "You don't understand and I am tired of the fight. Just leave me alone."

Perry stared after the woman as she stormed out of the bar before getting up and following her outside. "Barbie!" he yelled, but she kept walking.

Perry jogged to catch up with her, reaching her under one of the parking lot lights. "So that's it? You lose one patient and your wimpy little boyfriend and you are just going to give up everything? You have been through worse and never given up before."

"And I have never felt so lost before," she screamed, walking towards her car.

"Damn it Barbie," he yelled, grabbing her arm and spinning her around, "you need to grow up and you need to do it fast. Don't you think we all feel that way? It's part of being a doctor. You think Newbie hasn't felt like giving up? You don't think at one point in his miserable career Kelso didn't feel like walking away? Hell Barbie, I can't tell you how many times I have almost walked away. But you know what stopped me? Thinking of all the lives I have saved and all the lives I will save. Isn't that what we do this for?"

"Look, I know what you are trying to do," Elliot said, yanking her arm from his grasp and stumbling slightly, "But just let it go. I am a mess."

"Well hell, you always were Barbie," he replied, smiling at his attempt at humor.

"Got to hell," she whispered, turning and walking away from him.

Perry watched her stumble while digging in her purse for her keys. He sighed and grabbed her arm again, "What do you think you are doing Barbie?"

She snatched her arm away from him once more. "I'm going home."

"You are not driving," he said calmly, grabbing her keys from her hand.

"Fine. I don't care," she yelled, walking away from him towards the road. "It's just like you to be bossy."

Perry shot her a dirty look and grumbled to himself as walked towards his car. He could go back to the hospital and tell Carla that he tried, that he didn't let the dumb girl drive home drunk, and that she was still as crazy has ever.

Looking up, Perry saw her stumble slightly as she stepped over a concrete block. He sighed again, slamming his car door shut and jogging towards her. He reached her quickly and grabbed her arm, steering her back towards his car. "Get in the car," he said, pushing her forward.

"No, leave me alone," Elliot said, struggling to pull her arm free but not succeeding.

"Damn it Elliot, get in the car!" Perry exclaimed, his voice loud and demanding.

Elliot sighed quietly as she sat down in the car. Perry slammed her door shut before walking around to get in the drivers seat, bitching to himself the whole time. This woman was giving him a headache. He could have been home by now drinking scotch and watching hockey, but instead he was stuck driving a drunken one-woman freak show home.

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Elliot looked up when she felt the car's engine die and realized they were in front of her apartment. The ride had been quick, and she was grateful for the silence between them. Elliot felt sure that she would scream if she had to deal with another lecture from Dr. Cox.

Grabbing her purse from the floor, she quickly got out of the car, enjoying slamming the door as hard as she could.

She jumped slightly when she heard his car door slam, why couldn't he just leave her alone? she wondered as she entered her apartment building.

"You need your keys," Perry said, his voice gentle this time as he stepped up in front of her apartment door and handed her the keys.

"Thanks," Elliot said, grabbing them from him.

"Look Barbie, you are a damn good doctor and you know it. I don't know what happened with the boyfriend or what was really to blame in Mr. Orton's death, but you can't just give up when things get tough. You are smart, beautiful and strong and you will walk back into that hospital tomorrow with your head held high and this around your neck," Perry said, pulling her stethoscope out of his back pocket and putting it around her neck."

Elliot felt the cool metal around her neck as she looked up to meet Dr. Cox's eyes. Her head was spinning from the alcohol but she was pretty sure Dr. Cox just called her beautiful. His hands dropped away from her as he let go of her stethoscope, but she could still feel his breath, warm with scotch, on her face.

Closing her eyes and blaming the whiskey, Elliot leaned up and kissed Dr. Perry Cox right on the mouth. She didn't open her mouth or use her tongue; it was just a small and gentle kiss, a mere brush of the lips.

Perry felt his stomach leap up in his throat as the blonde's lips met his. His eyes flew open in shock for a moment as she gently rubbed her whiskey flavored mouth across his.

Her lips were soft, gentle, and not at all like Jordan who had so much facial surgery done that her lips felt like plastic.

He pulled away from the girl slightly and saw her eyes were closed and a small smile was on her face. Perry reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb over her mouth. "Open your eyes Elliot," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open, but her expression didn't change. With a small growl, Perry pushed her up against her apartment door and met her lips with his again. This time licking them, tasting them, relishing in their soft fullness.

Elliot still had her key in the door and she quickly reached down, turning it so the apartment door flew open. They stumbled in together, their mouths never separating. She threw her keys on the floor and kicked her shoes off as he spun her around the small foyer and she was slammed into her small table. Elliot heard her answering machine slide off the table and smack her floor but she could care less at that moment.

Perry reached his hands up and tangled them in her long blond hair, running it through his fingers before bunching it up in handfuls to hold onto. Her tongue probed his mouth, tasting each crevice and he felt his control fly out the window.

Elliot reached up between their bodies and began to unbutton his shirt, sliding her hands down his chest, feeling the hot skin under her fingertips. They spun around again, almost in a dance, and this time she was slammed against her living room wall, the picture frames rattling from the impact.

Ripping the rest of his shirt off of his body, she gasped against his lips as she felt his hands quickly rip her own shirt off, the cold air hitting her exposed skin for only a moment before his hands quickly found her curves, running up her sides before cupping her breasts.

Perry broke their kiss, catching his breath for a moment before trailing warm kisses down her neck and shoulder. Her breasts were heavy and firm in his hands, and he wondered how he ever thought Jordan's fake breasts were satisfying. There was something about the warm soft skin, the taunt pulling of the nipple when the woman was excited and the bounce when she rocked that a fake breast just didn't have.

Elliot pushed against Perry slightly, moving away from the wall. She looked up in his haze-filled eyes and had a brief moment of clarity (you are making out with Dr. Cox!) before he reached for her again and she lost her train of thought.

Elliot wasn't sure how it happened, or how he knew where to go, but Perry had managed to back her against the bedroom wall.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her nails down his back as he found her lips again, slipping his tongue inside, encouraging her to kiss him back. She moaned slightly as his hand slipped down, undoing the clasp on the front of her bra.

Perry left her lips, trailing kisses down her neck before reaching her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth for the first time. His eyes rolled back as he tasted the irresistible tang of skin and sweat, wondering for a brief moment if he was taking advantage of a drunk girl. When she gasped and dug her nails into his back, pressing her breast further into his mouth, Perry realized he didn't care if he was, this was the most fun he had been able to have in a long time.

Her small hands reached down between them, fumbling with his jeans as she tried to get the zipper down. Reaching down, Perry helped her, quickly sliding his jeans off and tossing them on the floor before reaching down and grabbing her skirt, yanking it down quickly and ignoring the sound of ripping material. Her small black panties came off next and he couldn't help but dip his fingers into her warmth as he ripped them off, teasing her for a brief moment.

Elliot almost came when she felt his finger rub against her briefly, her moan this time was one of pure lust and she quickly pulled his boxers down as far as she could get them before he reached down and finished removing them.

"Are you sure Barbie?" he whispered, his voice husky.

Elliot nodded, reaching for his lips once more.

Perry smiled against her lips and lifted her up, carrying her to the bed and dropping on her, quickly covering her and plunging into her in what seemed like one swift movement. Elliot cried out and Perry looked up at her face. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth formed a perfect 'O' and her face was flushed.

His pace increased and Elliot found herself rising up to meet him, thrusting against him as he thrust inside her, the bed bouncing off her wall in a constant 'smack, smack, smack'.

His lips sought hers as his fingers danced across her skin. Her nails were scratching his back, and when she came she bit his shoulder, muffling a cry and tasting blood. The combination of her body shuddering and tighten around him and her teeth sinking into his shoulder pushed him over the edge and he thrust one more time, pouring into her as he moaned, his face buried in her blonde hair.

Elliot didn't know how long they laid like that before Perry finally pulled out of her, flipping over to lay on the bed beside her, his eyes closed, his hand resting on his chest. She sighed to herself and wondered what she had just done.

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The sun woke Elliot up, she threw her arm over her eyes and groaned, blinking a few times before looking at the clock. She groaned again before she heard another groan beside her. She sat up, looking at the bed beside her. "Oh…."

Perry rubbed the sleep from eyes looking up at the blonde sitting beside him. Her hair was tousled and her eyes were red, but she was still adorable to look at, natural.

"Look… Barbie…," he started to say.

Elliot raised her hand up and shook her head. "I know, don't worry, it's okay. It was a mistake, I was drunk, it didn't mean anything and you are not under any obligations."

"There is Jack… and Jordan…," Perry said, climbing out of her bed and pulling his pants on.

"I know… no worries, I won't tell anyone," Elliot said, climbing out of bed and wrapping the sheet around herself and heading to the bathroom.

Perry finished dressing and looked at her bathroom door. He could hear the shower running and wondered to himself how he was getting out of this so easy.

Elliot waiting until she felt the hot water splash over her body before she began to cry, her tears mixing with the water and running down the drain. She had slept with Dr. Cox. If this ever got out she would be ruined. J.D. would never speak to her again, Jordan would probably kill her, Carla would find her a slut, and Turk would find her gross.

And how did she feel? She had slept with him, spent the entire night with him. The one man who she hated more than anyone else in the hospital, and probably in the city, maybe even the state.

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"You are still here?" Elliot said, walking into her living room and noticing Perry, no, Dr. Cox, sitting on her couch.

He quickly jumped up. "I thought I would wait and say goodbye," he said, his hands in his jean pockets.

Elliot smiled at him before looking around on her floor. Finally she spotted what she was looking for, bending down she picked up her stethoscope and draped it around her neck.

Perry reached for the doorknob. "So, I'll see you…."

"….. at work," Elliot finished for him.

Perry smiled, "That's my girl," he said, kissing her forehead before leaving.

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Carla smiled when Elliot walked in. "So you decided to come back?" she asked her friend.

"Look, Carla, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just overwhelmed and overstressed and I snapped," Elliot explained.

Carla waved her hand, "We all have days like that, don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you back."

Elliot opened her mouth to reply but her pager went off first. "That's Mrs. Buxton," she said, turning and heading for her patients room.

Carla was turning to pick up her clipboard when Jordan walked up to her, "Hey, have you seen Perry?"

"It's only 9 o'clock in the morning and you already lost him?" Carla replied, checking off a box on her order form.

"No, for your information he never came home last night," Jordan said, her hand on her hip.

"Haven't seen him," Carla said. "But I do know he worked a double shift to help out last night."

"If you do tell him I'm looking for him, okay?" Jordan said, spinning on her heels and walking away.

Carla sighed as she picked up another chart and headed for Mr. Dunbar's room. She checked the man's vitals and fluids and marked her chart off. "How is he doing?" she heard from the doorway.

"Everything looks good," Carla replied. "Jordan is looking for you. She's a little concerned that you didn't come home last night."

"Oh?" Perry replied.

"Don't worry," Carla said, patting his arm as she walked by him. "I explained to her that you worked a double shift last night."

Perry didn't reply but his smile said everything. "Did you see Elliot is back today?" Carla asked him.

"I did see that," he replied, looking up at room 405 where Elliot was checking her patient's blood pressure. 

Carla didn't miss the smile on his face as he watched the blonde doctor work.

"There you are. I have been looking all over for you. Why didn't you tell me you were working a double shift last night? I had to get up with Jack four times. Four times Perry! How am I going to get any beauty sleep when I'm up four times?" Jordan ranted, throwing her arms in the air as she approached her ex-husband.

Carla didn't miss the way his smile faded as Jordan stood in front of him.


End file.
